Across the world, a discovery could change everything paleontologists know about the past.

DORMOD, MONGOLIA — They say even under perfect conditions, it couldn’t be possible.

Yet somehow, paleontologists have unearthed a preserved dinosaur foot deep in the heart of the Gobi Desert in Southern Mongolia.

“I wouldn’t believe any reports if I hadn’t been there,” said paleontologist Dr. Greg Hudkins, who was one of several experts sent on the dig. “But I saw it, and I felt it. I’ve analyzed it. That thing is the foot of a real dinosaur.”

Scientists have released one photo of what they’re calling the “find that will define this century.” After an already successful day of digging, the group reportedly came across a small, warm pocket beneath the rocks. They believe the beast had its leg stuck in the wet pocket around 70 million years ago. However, how it stayed preserved for that long is a question no one is capable of answering just yet.

“We’re not sure how that could be,” Hudkins said. “But I know what this is. It’s the foot of some theropod — a raptor-like creature, perhaps. But much bigger.”

Hudkins maintains that there are thousands of dinosaur genera that have not been discovered, so no immediate label is not alarming and a mystery that may take time. The larger question will still be how the object — with skin, bones and tissue — could have made it this far. The group will reportedly take on these questions in separate groups. They will publish their findings, including verification that the foot is absolutely real, in an upcoming issue of the journal Science.

Scientists are also beginning to extrapolate clues about other dinosaurs from the photographic evidence provided.

Either way, it’s an exciting time to be a paleontologist. Weekly World News will continue to cover this story.